Specs
Read/Write Speeds
DVD Write (2.4 x 2.4 x 8)
• DVD Write: 2.4x 3300kB/sec
• DVD Re-Write: 2.4x 3300kB/sec
• DVD Read: 8x 10800kB/sec
CD Write (12 x 10 x 32)
• CD Write: 12x 1800kB/sec
• CD Re-Write: 10x 1500kB/sec
• CD Read: 32x 4800kB/sec
Interface: ATAPI / E-IDE
(Ultra DMA 2)
Buffer: 2MB
Access time
• CD <120msec
• DVD <140msec
Formats supported
• CD-Audio, CD-ROM (XA), CD-Bridge,
CD-Text CD-I, Video-CD, Photo CD,
CD-Extra, DVD-ROM, DVD+RW, DVD+R
Write Methods
• Track at once (TAO), Disc
at once (DAO)
• Multi Session (MS), Session
At Once (SAO)
• Fixed & variable Packet
Writing
• DVD Random Write & Sequential
Write.
OS's Supported
• Windows® 98SE, Windows®
Me,Windows® 2000 Professional,
Windows® XP.
Interactive installation
• Simplify Installation! Unique
step-by-step interactive video installation
CD shows you
the way. Automatic tuning of your
system for optimum performance.
Firmware upgrade
• via Flash Tool (see: http://www.philips.com/PCstuff)
Mounting orientation
• Horizontal or Vertical (Eject
button upside)
Media type for writing
• DVD+RW and DVD+R Media 4.7GB
(high quality Philips media recommended)
• CD-R and CD-RW 74 and 80
min. media (high quality Philips media
recommended)
• 8 cm CDs can be used for
both CD read and CD write functions
(In horizontal position only)
Recording format
• UDF and ISO 9660
Power requirements
• DC5V/12V, power consumption
16W
Laser power control
• Real Time Optimum Laser Power
Control (ROPC) to increase writing
reliability
Front Panel
• Tray door, Headphone jack,Volume
control, Busy LED indicator
• Eject/Close button, Emergency
eject hole.
Rear Panel
• Analogue audio out, Digital
audio out, Master/Slave select jumper,
• IDE interface connector, DC
power connector.
Operating temperature/Humidity
• 5-35°C / 5-90%RH
Dimensions
• Width x height x depth (mm):
146 x 42 x 196mm inc. bezel
• Weight: 0.98 Kg
Our Test Machine's Specs:
Pentium 4 1.5GHz (not overclocked)
384MB SDRAM
DELL (Custom) Motherboard
1 x Maxtor 20GB Hard Disk

Introduction
Philips was the original creator
of the CD-ROM and now their latest
venture sees them moving into the
field of DVD recording with their
latest drive the DVDRW228K. The DVDRW228K
(based on the Ricoh MP5125A) drive
is the successor to the Philips DVDRW208
- a first generation DVD+RW that was
not capable of writing to the cheaper
(and more compatible +R disks), but
it could write to CD-R, CD-RW and
DVD+RW disks.
The 2.4 speed DVDRW228K writer can
write to all the formats that the
DVDRW208 could, in addition it can
write to +R disks. Reminder: 2.4
x speed is NOT the same as in CDs
but is equivalent to 22 x speed CD-ROM
(1 x DVD = 1385Kb/s).
This is a different burner to the
previous burners that we have reviewed,
it is based upon the "+"
format (as opposed to the "-"
format).
The DVD+RW format was developed in
co-operation by Hewlett-Packard, Mitsubishi
Chemical, Philips, Ricoh, Sony and
Yamaha (known as the DVD+RW Alliance)
and is not approved by the DVD Forum
but is a competing standard. It was
designed with compatibility with existing
DVD-Video players and DVD-ROM drives
in mind.
In this review we hope to cover the
main selling points of this drive
and check its general performance
and compatibility. This drive also
comes with a 2 year warranty in Europe.
DVD+RW Format
As stated above, the DVD+RW format
is not approved by the DVD forum (who
were the original creators of the
DVD format and you can find more information
on their web site http://www.dvdforum.org)
but is competing with the other recordable
format the "-RW".
The main features of the +RW as listed
by Philips are (not all these features
are exclusive to the +RW format and
some are also shared by the "-"
format):
- Single-sided disc with 4.7 GB
capacity
- Double-sided disc with 9.4 GB
capacity
- Uses a bare disc - no cartridge
required
- 650 nm laser (numerical aperture
0.65)
- Constant linear data density
- CLV and CAV recording
- Write speeds from 1 x to 2.4x
DVD-Video data rates
- Defect management handled by the
drive
- Quick formatting
- Uses same 8-16 Modulation and
RS code as DVD-ROM
- Recording: (Sequential and random
recording, 32 kB ECC blocks, Lossless
linking)
- Address information: (Spiral groove
with radial wobble (32T period),
Phase modulation addresses, Four
addresses per ECC block of 32 kB)
The format is really
being marketed by Philips as a video
recording and data format with compatibility
between DVD Players and PC DVD-ROMs
being one of its aims.

The Diagram shows the
+RW format's focus on "media
interchange" between consumer
electronic equipment and PC platforms.
To achieve this high
compatibility, the format has to be
as close to possible as a normal DVD-ROM
disk:

As you can see, its
almost identical except for the important
"reflectivity" factor. The
fact that it falls within the bounds
of the dual-layer is important because
in real world tests some drives will
think the disk is a dual-layered DVD-ROM
and get confused with it (the same
applies for DVD-RW disks). Note: One
of the reason why DVD+RW aren't as
compatible as DVD-RW is because of
their new marker values (used on disks).
It's also worth pointing
out that the write once format "+R"
was not developed at the same time
as the re-writeable format but came
later - HP is in the process of a
class action suit in the US over the
inability of the drive to write to
+R disks (as allegedly had advertised).
Not listed in the table
is the numerical aperture size. The
numerical aperture size of the DVD+RW
format is different to the DVD-RWs.
The DVD+RW has an N.A. of 0.65 whilst
DVD-RW has an N.A. of 0.6 -- this
means that the system employing the
0.65na can focus on smaller pits compared
with the 0.60na.
What the package includes
The package contains:
1 x Philips DVDRW228K DVD+RW Recorder
1 x 4.7GB DVD+R Media (Philips Branded)
1 x 4.7GB DVD+RW (Philips Branded)
1 x 74min CD-R Media (Really made
by Ritek Co.)
1 x Quick Install CD Guide
1 x Pinnacle Studio Version 7 SE Software
CD
1 x Instruction Guide
1 x Packet Mounting Screws (4)

Our review sample is a standard European
retail package. No IDE cable is included.
The front of the drive has a large
PHILIPS logo and a somewhat overly
large eject button. There is a small
emergency eject hole above the volume
control for the headphone socket.
This burner has a fairly funky LED
that turns blue when a disk is being
read from and it also turns red when
a disk is being written to.

At back of the drive you will find
the usual connectors: jumpers for
making the drive a master/slave, digital
output connector, an IDE connector
and a power supply connector. No extra
cooling mechanisms are present.

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1 - Last Updated: 25 July 2002
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